Top 10 Hottest Holiday Destinations in 2017

It’s a new year with 12 whole months of new travel possibilities – but where are the best places to go? Mirror Travel Editors Nigel Thompson and Marjorie Yue choose their Top 10 Hottest Holiday Destinations for 2017.

10 – Chile

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In at number 10 of our Top 10 Hottest Holiday Destinations for 2017 is South America is hot to trot in 2017 and Chile is one of the coolest destinations. It’s also British Airways’ newest route – starting on on Tuesday – and its longest at a whopping 14hrs 40mins. But we reckon it’s worth the effort to discover the food and drink scene in the capital, Santiago, a stunning 2,653-mile coastline, world-class wineries and the Atacama Desert.

9 – Oman

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Experience an Arabian adventure in surprisingly diverse Oman, which offers deserts, oases, mountains, great scuba diving and snorkelling and fine beaches – plus in Muscat a capital city that’s light years away from the bling of Dubai.

British Airways now flies direct and chief sight include the spectacular Royal Opera House Muscat, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Old Muttrah Souq, which is hassle-free and welcoming. You’ll find plenty of high standard hotels too.

8 – Canada

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Happy 150th anniversary to our cousins across the Atlantic. Canada is a fabulous destination and now there’s an even better excuse to go – a year-long party nationwide!

7 – Scotland

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In at number 7 of our Top 10 Hottest Holiday Destinations for 2017 is the world’s foremost festival city Edinburgh knows how to celebrate. And 2017 will be a humdinger as the Scottish capital marks its 70th anniversary as the Festival City.

It was 1947 that saw the birth of the Edinburgh International Festival and since then the festival family has now grown to a total of 12 major festivals held every year – from the famous Festival Fringe and International Film Festival to the intimate jazz and blues, fascinating science, underground theatre and children’s entertainment.

6 – South Africa

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Already great value thanks to the weakness of the South African rand against the pound, holidaying in this stunning country of golden beaches, rolling vineyards not to mention superb safaris, is even more affordable with last month’s launch of Thomas Cook Airlines direct route to Cape Town.

And once there, the cost of living is a bargain, especially for food and drink. The new seasonal flights from Gatwick will operate until March 20 with fares starting at £599.

5 – North Wales

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Staycations are here to stay and we like the look of North Wales for holiday at home family fun this year.

The region has invested heavily in adventure activities and highlights include Europe’s longest zip line and the fastest in the world (Zip World Velocity), an underground adventure through caverns on zip lines and rope bridges (Zip World Cavern) and the largest zip zone in Europe (Zip World Titan).

Add to that white water rafting and surf at the world’s first inland surfing lagoon which is the size of six football pitches (Surf Snowdonia) and the majesty of Mount Snowdon itself and it’s a Welsh winner.

Oh yes, there’s also some great grub to be had as well, with two Michelin starred restaurants waiting to tempt you.

4 – Finland

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Rated as one top three countries to visit by Lonely Planet as well as one of National Geographic Traveler’s 21 Best of the World destinations for 2017, there’s even more cause for celebration as next year marks the centenary of Finland’s independence.

The Finns will be getting the year-long party started on New Year’s Eve in Helsinki’s Töölönlahti Bay and Kansalaistori Square with a host of events culminating in a sensational fireworks show.

3 – Myanmar

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Back in 2012 the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest was the cue for the country, long shrouded in mystery, to inch open its doors to a trickle of tourists.

Nowadays there’s a flood of visitors streaming to Burma (as it was formerly known) to sail along the fabled Irrawaddy River and wonder at the sight of the multitude of gilded temples and monasteries of Bagan.

But canny travellers should go off the beaten track to the little visited far south of the country for its deserted beaches by the Andaman Sea and historic Mawlamyine, the former old colonial capital of British Burma.

2 – Montenegro

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Billed as the ‘new Croatia’, this little gem, lying further down the magnificent Adriatic coastline from its East European neighbour, is magnet for the rich and famous, attracting the likes of Tina Turner, the Rothschild family and Beyonce and Jay-Z.

And no wonder – this tiny country has so much to offer, from the 72 miles of beaches to historic towns like the Unesco-listed walled Budva and atmospheric Kotor, to glorious national parks such as Durmitor.

1 – Sri Lanka

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Number 1 in our Top 10 Hottest Holiday Destinations for 2017 is Sri Lanka with temples and turtles, birds and beaches, curry and culture…and some of the world’s best tea!

This is a tropical treat that’s now served by direct jetlag-busting Dreamliner flights with Thomson Airways and features a fine range of hotels.

The Indian Ocean island is the size of Ireland but blessed with an outstanding range of things to see and do including an impressive eight Unesco world heritage sites and national parks with elephants, leopards, crocodiles and buffalo. You’ll find the locals are amazingly friendly and it’s even got great surfing too.